When animal patients encounter a health problem, veterinary clinics need to determine the proper course of treatment quickly by performing diagnostic tests or sending samples to diagnostic centers. MiraVista Veterinary Diagnostics wanted to develop a safe, efficient, and timely way to collect and share test results with veterinarians to diagnose illnesses and provide patients with the right solutions as soon as possible.

CloudWave worked with MiraVista to create a user-friendly patient portal that integrated with an existing process framework. The new portal enables the veterinary clients to upload lab order information, Mira Vista to share test results, and then veterinary clients to download the results so that the patients can be treated as quickly as possible.

In 3 months, the CloudWave project team led by Murugaboopathi Natarajan and Hannah Ellis conducted intake meetings to collect the MiraVista team’s requirements, personalized the software architecture, tested the applications, conducted virtual training sessions, and provided an efficient project management solution for MiraVista Veterinary Diagnostics and their vet clinic clients.

Diagnosing the Problem

MiraVista Veterinary Diagnostics is a specialty laboratory in Indiana that focuses on testing for fungal infections in animals. Veterinarian clients throughout the U.S. and Canada rely on MiraVista to process samples quickly and accurately, processing between 500 to 1,000 lab orders per day for clients, Monday through Saturday.

First-time clients complete a client information form and submit it via fax or mail along with the sample to be tested. Each sample is accompanied by a printed lab order detailing the type of test(s) needed and information about the pet, owner, collection details and clinic identification information. The sample is received by MiraVista Veterinary Diagnostics, cataloged and processed.

Because physical samples are received, MiraVista Veterinary Diagnostics analysts needed an accurate way to validate client orders against current database entries in one single program. A solution was also needed for lab technicians to enter diagnostic results and for veterinary clinics to easily access those results using a secure, user-friendly portal. While HIPAA privacy regulations don’t apply to veterinary results, MiraVista Veterinary Diagnostics believes in offering animal patients the same privacy standards as human patients, thereby ensuring clients only see results for their specific animal patients.

Building a Solution with Smartsheet

CloudWave is always striving to provide results to clients quickly and efficiently, and the team proposed an aggressive timeline of three months. CloudWave first completed the discovery phase, understanding the full scope of the requirements to create a system that would meet the client needs and integrate well with pre-existing technology.

Our team then customized Smarthseet’s ConsoleApp and WorkApps, tested and optimized the programs, and provided virtual training for administrators via Zoom. In the one month leading up to full deployment, the team met with key stakeholders to begin a thorough knowledge transfer of documentation and outlined every step of the current process. The final portal was released in under 12 weeks.

CloudWave developed a custom portal, linking several solutions and working closely with MiraVista Veterinary Diagnostics to connect seamlessly with their current database. CloudWave leveraged Smartsheet’s Document Builder and custom-designed WorkApps to create a patient portal that works unidirectionally with MiraVista’s database.

Connecting to the Database and Building Documents

After a veterinarian sees an animal with a suspected illness, the vet team collects a specimen and it is sent to MiraVista Veterinary Diagnostics through expedited delivery. Technicians conduct diagnostic testing for specific fungal infections, then share results in a timely turnaround. MiraVista sought a solution that would allow lab technicians to input results that would be available to the client in virtually real time.

Each clinic is assigned a client ID number in the MiraVista Veterinary Diagnostics SQL database, which is tied to the client’s contact information, including an email address. However, data integrity is important to MiraVista. Clients have the ability to manage their own login, while MiraVista Smartsheet administrators are able to manage security on their end, updating their client list as needed, reviewing notifications of new user requests immediately, validating new user requests and handling invalid user requests (i.e. a duplicate request for a client, with an invalid client ID).

In the newly developed portal, MiraVista Veterinary Diagnostics lab technicians upload results into the Smartsheet fields specific to the client and the patient. Document Builder converts the results from the Smartsheet entry into a PDF report. The client user logs into the portal and is granted access to the results specific to the patients seen at their clinic and does not have access to patients from other clinics. The patient portal is optimized for both desktop and mobile devices.

Additional Applications for the Patient Portal

With behind-the-scenes user authentication, patient data stays secure and confidential and is available only to permitted users. Order submission, as well as faster and more accessible updates and results in one place using one login, gave MiraVista Veterinary Diagnostics the transparency and efficiency it needed for its veterinary clients. This example of using Smartsheet to create a patient portal that can be applied to pets and humans alike. In this case, the veterinary clinics are akin to patients and this same solution could be employed by doctor offices, lab clinics, and more.

Through customized Smartsheet integration, CloudWave can deliver a cross-platform process automation solution to fit similar needs for efficient end-to-end solutions.

CloudWave is a leader in platform integration, including Smartsheet integrations with various on-premise and cloud-based systems. CloudWave’s experts think outside of the box to supply solutions customized for each organization’s needs.

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About MiraVista Veterinary Diagnostics

MiraVista Veterinary Diagnostics is the veterinary division of MiraVista Diagnostics, a specialty laboratory in Indianapolis, Indiana devoted to detection and monitoring of systemic fungal infections. MiraVista Veterinary Diagnostics provides diagnostic services to veterinarians throughout the U.S. and Canada (as well as globally) for a wide range of species including dogs, cats, birds, horses, tigers, lions, marine mammals, etc.

About CloudWave

CloudWave Inc. is an information technology consulting firm based in Virginia that provides end to end services from architecture to development in niche cutting-edge cloud technologies. CloudWave specializes in application development, integration, and cloud offerings - SaaS, PaaS, IaS, machine learning/artificial intelligence, analytics/business intelligence, microservices, and enterprise document management. Since 2012, the company has developed classified/unclassified, innovative, cost-saving, low-risk solutions to federal and commercial customers both within the United States and globally. The team has more than 30 years of exceptional systems and architectures experience managing complex and compliant projects.